Question

1) Explain why proper structuring of a workshop is so important?

2) List and explain the 4 easy steps in developing workshops.

3) How would you implement the steps and strategies stated by the presenter into your respective project and in your current workforce or educational arena (if you were to develop a workshop).

Answer 1

Answer 1 Structured workshops provide a clear framework within which to facilitate. To structure a workshop effectively the right process needs to be matched to the content you are dealing with.

By process we mean the structure and steps used to achieve the desired outcomes of team meetings and workshops. Where teams are concerned, having the right process is especially important in three common areas

• Decision making – where outcomes are decided by a team together, rather than by any one person. See our rational decision making model, for a guide to structured decision making.

• Problem solving – by using problem solving processes within a team. You can find an excellent seven step problem solving process and a free, downloadable problem solving flow chart in our series of problem solving articles.
• Continuous improvement of services/products, systems and processes. You can find out more about strength-based approaches to change in our change management series, and we outline a classic model in our article: change management models.

Answer 2 -four easy steps to develop a workshop

1. Define the Goals

Every workshop must have a goal. Do you need to improve your company's hiring procedures? Do you want to teach managers how to be better organizers? Do you need to do some team building with a newly formed team?

Many workshops are a waste of time because there's no clear goal kept at the center of the discussion. Without this clear goal, there's really no point in getting people together

2. Decide Who Will Attend

Knowing who will attend directly relates to your objective. For example, if your workshop's goal is to develop a detailed solution to a problem, then you probably want 10 or fewer key attendees. If your goal is centered on education, then you might be happy with a much larger group, which divides into smaller groups for discussion.

3. Choose the Right Location

If you have 10 attendees, then the conference room down the hall will probably be just fine. But if you have 50 people, you may have to find an outside location that's large enough.

Think about the logistics and practical details of your workshop when you choose the location. Will everyone be able to see your visual aids? If you need a certain technology, like teleconferencing, will the location support it? Are there appropriate facilities for breakout sessions? Will everyone be able to reach the venue? Will you need to organize accommodation for people who are coming from a long way away? And what catering facilities does the venue provide?

4. Create an Agenda

Now that you know your primary objective and who will attend, you can start to develop an outline of how you'll achieve the workshop's goal.

• Main points – Create a list of main points to discuss, and then break down each larger point into details that you want to communicate to your audience.
• Visual aids – List the visual aids, if any, you'll use for each point. If you need technical support, this helps the people providing it to determine where they need to focus their efforts.
• Discussions and activities – Take time to list exactly which group discussions and activities you'll have at which point in the workshop. How much time will you allow for each exercise? Make sure your activities are appropriate for the size of the group, and ensure that your venue has the resources (for example, seminar rooms) needed to run sessions.